Saturday, the skies clouded over somewhat dramatically, so plans for Desaru were abandoned and the delights of the JB Retail Outlet Park beckoned. From Seri Alam we took our old friend the Pasir Gudang, joining the E2 Utara – Selatan Highway and on up to the shops. They are well signposted once you get near. You also see signs for JB’s own airport – Senai. Apparently many of the big hotels offer excursion tours to the retail outlet and Singaporeans visit in droves to stock up on the much cheaper clothes etc.

The journey took about 45 minutes and was hassle-free. Parking at the park was RM3 for the day, and our arrival at 10am coincided with the start of the working day there. At first we thought everything was closed, so few people did we see. However, by the time we left (circa 2pm) the car park was almost full.

Most of the big names were represented there: Armani, Hugo Boss, Gap, Coach, Louis Vuitton, Clarks, Marc Jacobs, Versace, Mont Blanc, Tissot etc and 40 more units are advertised as coming soon. Thai, Japanese and Western food is available, reasonably priced and of average quality. Rather like Bicester Village in the UK, this is an open air retail park with fountains and play areas for the children, shaded walkways and benches. Let’s be honest: we had fun drooling over hugely expensive clothes we wouldn’t be seen dead in, enjoyed lunch and were tempted enough to buy sandals for our daughter, a watch for an older daughter and a handbag for me. The only irritation was Coach’s inexplicable policy of channeling customers to a particular door, only letting a few customers in at a time, especially at the start of the day when we weren’t exactly numerous. You rattled around in there with three assistants for every prospective customer.

Naturally enough, this is a retail park for primarily Asian customers. Most Asians have a much smaller build than Westerners – some of the women must wear clothes similar to the sizes my 9 year old wears. It is not surprising, therefore, that most of the clothes we saw were sizes 6 – 12 for women, and not made for anyone with a bust. Don’t expect to find men’s shoes in larger sizes either. Handbags, however, are well represented, as are top-end watches. The make-up shop sold mostly Clinique products and the Body Shop did not sell eye make-up remover or anything you would class as an essential.

Would I visit again? Yes, once I’ve lost some weight and saved up!

Sunday, it was off to Singapore. We wanted to avoid the Sunday evening traffic heading back across the Causeway into Malaysia as we had been warned it is truly horrendous, so planned to stroll along Orchard Road (the premier shopping district) and grab a bite for lunch. I will detail in my next blog the paperwork etc needed to enter Singapore from Malaysia – suffice to say it is confusing.

Seri Alam into the centre of Singapore was a journey of about an hour. The Satnav proved its worth and we found parking relatively easily in one of the less upmarket malls along Orchard Road. (You need an Autopass card to access and pay for parking.) Hitting the street was a hot, humid and disconcerting experience after the relative calm of Malaysia. Humanity en masse, even when well-regulated by Western standards, is more oppressive when surging in and out of malls in great waves that leave you disoriented. Designer bands can be found in sumptuous settings at the Paragon Mall. We loved the Takashimaya Department store at 391 Orchard Road, making a bee-line for the truly spectacular bookstore inside. Cool, relatively spacious, with cushions provided to encourage children to stay and read but above all HUGE, this must be the most wonderful bookstore I have ever visited. We tracked down some fairly esoteric books my husband wanted in no time at all and only left because we knew we would end up spending all our money there.

Many of the shopping malls have food courts on the top floor. We grabbed a quick noodle meal (Singapore prices though!) and then continued our exploration. Gradually the pavements beyond Paragon filled up with Filipina maids making the most of their day off, but sadly we felt less comfortable amongst some of the less desirable characters. In the end, Orchard Road began to feel a little claustrophobic and we elected to retrace our steps out of the centre and head to the Botanical Garden, at 1 Cluny Road, the end of Nassim Road.

Here, indeed, was space, beauty and fresh air. The Botanical Gardens charge a little for parking but are free to enter. Time constraints meant we had to miss the Orchid section, which is by all accounts the best in the world. Children under 12 can go in free, as can students of any age and nationality if they have current Student ID with them, as well as anyone accompanying them. However, we aim to return as soon as possible! The gardens are open 5am – midnight all through the year, although I would suggest checking this before turning up. (The orchid garden operates on a more restricted timetable, usually around 8.30am – 7pm.) Away from the bustle of downtown Singapore, the sense of peace and tranquility is very refreshing. There is a restaurant where many families were having a late lunch, and a gift shop for your souvenirs. You are free to wander through the ‘rain forest’ section, across immaculate lawns, visit the Ginger section, listen to the live music from the Shaw Foundation Symphony Stage set in a beautiful natural dip in the grounds. Exotic trees, lianes, flowers, birds are everywhere. Had it not been for the Sunday evening traffic, we would have stayed to explore a lot longer.